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Well good to know John that I'm not the only one seeing the finish line - for aero clubs doing GA training. My aero club is going great at present. If we were to lose the 141 operation it will leave a big hole. We are almost "last club standing" doing 141 training in hundreds of km. And turbs - roadies..... I worked in a RWC shop until not so long ago (just a helper, not a mechanic). Owner had the apprentices do the roadies, a total NO NO - he was never out on the shop floor. Even wanted me to check some basics, I said NUP, nothing to do with me DH. Yes, each fault had to have a photo taken and uploaded to Vicroads. Even photos of INOP horns! Then another photo of the horn working again when resolved! Hilarious.

I can speak with great experience to this topic. I have been in a local aero club 25 years or thereabouts. In that time it has become very clear that CASA do not want traditional Aero Clubs involved in flight training. Years ago, every small town with an airfield had an aero club, a 172 and an instructor (sole operator) but the aero club held the AOC. I gather that getting an AOC for that was not too difficult. My club had such a structure since the sixties. Our operations manual came from a mob who did that sort of thing. Then following a CASA audit, our approved manual was suddenly no longer approved and we had to change things. The manual mob though still existing then (and today) totally blew us off with radio silence. So I stepped up to fix things, the club had no other viable plan. CASA requirements were becoming far beyond the capabilities of the people of a small town aero club. Many chucked flying training in. Some clubs folded. Along comes Part 141 and all the requirements and it got ten times worse. I can say with great authority that the current requirements for Aero Club people in CASA approved positions and manuals and forms is well beyond the capabilities of ordinary aviators to be involved with, then not to mention the responsibility those positions hold, usually voluntarily (other than paid instructors). It is the Aero Club that holds the 141 Certificate, not the instructors or any other person. Yes there is a CASA standard operations manual draft which we have used, but I can tell you with great certainty that there are many traps in there that could bring you undone at audit. We (I) amended/deleted those traps. (quick example - our manual said we would use the CASA Maintenance Release for the plane. Then our LAME innocently used the other RACWA one. drum roll ....... PING!) Our current approved manuals are only good to the next CASA audit, where overnight they could suddenly now become not acceptable. We (I) do manage to do updates to match regulation changes. Oh, then WE have to PAY to get those changes approved. Let me repeat that one, WE HAVE TO PAY TO GET OUR MANUALS RE-APPROVED AFTER CASA CHANGES REGULATIONS. We've had audits claiming faults and when investigated, some were totally shot down by their own regulations. The auditors were BSing. Some even claimed fault against regulations that did not even exist. All these audit findings were to do with paperwork, nothing to do with flying an aeroplane. Sad, that's what it's all come to. I had a friend in the trucking industry. He once told me the industry was now only about compliance, and if there was any time left over they might do a few deliveries. I believe there will come the day soon (inside 5 years) when our flight training via the aero club cannot survive the paperwork. We could transition to the Part 141 sole operator approval thing that does suit an owner/operator of a 172 trainer. They are the master/mistress of their domain totally, they wear all the responsibility. But that can have problems also if trying to exist in an aero club environment. Perhaps not so if they had their own premises (hangar/classroom) to operate out of. Well that's my take on the Aero Club vs Part 141 GA flying training scene. It's a race to the finish line. Current VH plane utilisation is good, worthwhile holding on to. While we can. Oh also, my club also got an RAAus plane and instructor and that is going really well for us. The club owns the plane. I play NO PART in the paperwork for that part of our operation! As far as I can tell, the operation follows the RAAUs standard manuals, there are no surprises, no variations, no specifics for us. IT WORKS. The RAAus operation HAS attracted many new young members and their family members to the club.

brown rhomboid/diamond wing 1932, propeller at the back. So ugly, when it completed and rolled out, the designer was slapped silly.

It's perhaps probable that some places just don't want to get involved with RPC to RPL conversions - at all.

Class 5 only exists via CASA Exemption EX01/24 Flight Crew Medical Status (Class 5 Medical Self-declaration) Exemption 2024 Para 3 Application of this instrument This instrument applies, according to its terms, to and in respect of the following persons, when they are engaged in certain private operations or permitted class 5 training: (a) student pilots conducting solo flights in an aircraft (b) applicants for a recreational pilot licence (c) holders of a private pilot licence or a recreational pilot licence who are exercising the privileges of the licence Go fly. Case closed.

In winter, I start in mornings down to about 5C with no problems at all, even with an Odyssey battery 8 years old. I have a small solar charge panel plugged in sitting on the wing, under the crappy old, discolored hangar roof skylight panel. My theory is the solar panel doesn't really charge the battery, it just stops it depleting. In 20 winters, I have never "not started" - not once.

and "the Cessna's engine stalled"

Gravity?

STATEMENT FROM OUR AIRSHOW DIRECTOR Dear Pacific Airshow Gold Coast Community, It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of the cancellation of Pacific Airshow Gold Coast scheduled for 15-17 August 2025 in Surfers Paradise. I released a statement on 16 April 2025 regarding our work with local authorities to ensure beach rectification efforts were on track in the wake of Cyclone Alfred. At the time of that statement our team had every confidence that the ongoing beach restoration efforts would have the sandy beach in Surfers Paradise in peak shape in time for this year’s event. Subsequent to putting Pacific Airshow Gold Coast on sale Southeast Queensland has experienced several king tides with massive accompanying swell. This ‘perfect storm’ of weather has caused additional and significant erosion to the Surfers Paradise foreshore, dashing our plans and creating new safety concerns. I take my responsibility to our PA family and the Gold Coast Community very seriously. I feel it is our obligation to deliver an experience that exceeds your expectations every time you attend. For this reason, and after considering all alternatives, I feel the decision to cancel this year’s event timely and decisively is the right one. Delivering a substandard experience is not what you’ve come to expect. For all patrons who purchased a ticket to the 2025 Pacific Airshow Gold Coast, you will receive an email today with options regarding your ticket purchase including the option for a full refund. Mark your calendars as Pacific Airshow Gold Coast will be back BIGGER, FASTER & LOUDER, 14-16 August 2026 and we hope to see you all in attendance! Blue Skies & Sandy Beaches, Kevin Elliott Chief Executive Officer

A day late and a dollar short, but the rebate has nothing to do with CASA. Not one thing.

Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771 Great telemovie starring Scott Bakula. The ATC or search & rescue centre (I think it was) transcript of the event was a good read too, no idea where that's available.

Me too.

VH registered? Amateur-built? Factory Built? apples aint all apples.

I've personally had several Jabiru engine failures over the years. Calmly identified the problem, selected fuel ON, restarted, then resumed my taxi to the runup bay.

For amateur-built aircraft, APs (of any affiliation) are not responsible for airworthiness. Full stop. (p.s. SAAA don't register any aircraft.)

There are no different specifications for lighting for experimental within the Part 91 MOS. See MOS 26.22 for anti-collision lights "required by type design" - Experimental amateur-built as an example have no type design. (not type certificated) LSA also is not type certificated. 26.23 for NVFR landing lights 26.26 for NVFR nav lights Transponder - Class D towers and G airspace (OCTA) - see AIP

Wong Warrior it was. (THE Wong Warrior - Christie Wong's)

Tom Wickers has recently been on facebook Aviation Buy Sell Swap Australia. If you follow that up you should be able to contact him and ask directly.

blue/silver/yellow helicopter in the water

You are correct Peter. (p.s. we sold your plane) Transport Security Regulations 2005 6.28 an issuing body may issue an ASIC only if (a) the person has an operational need for an ASIC. 6.01 Definitions Operational need means a requirement for frequent access to all or part of a secure area.... (airport or aircraft operation...) I have virtually no operational need for an ASIC, therefore I am not even eligible to apply for one. Sure, I could just say I have frequent need, but that is not true. I have been airside going about my business (not flying) (once a year approx) at various capital city airports over the years with no ASIC. Even clearly seen by roving security at one. What happened? Nothing.

Just heard from a fella who has a friend from USA coming out to do some flying around in OZ. Has to get a FAA to CASA licence conversion and they won't issue that until he has an ASIC. ASIC place won't issue an ASIC until he has the CASA licence. WHAT the absolute......... Clearly his first mistake was to even bother with either of them.

Yes, I fitted the kit to an Altronics headset back in 2002 ($390 AUD for the Headsets Inc. kit) and it still works great. But the USD price these days - OUCH! I don't know if I would again today, especially at that price. I don't know what a good factory ANR headset costs.

I suspect you might not know that "bollywood" Litsea reticulata - is a real timber, generally from NSW. Generally similar specs to Spruce, though a little harder and quite a bit heavier. Bollywood was approved in Australia back in the early 40's as an alternative to Spruce for aircraft construction. The wingspar of my plane is bollywood.

1956 or so I think, after the Korean war. OBOE was also bad for dyslexics. My teachers used to say that due to my dyslexia, I'd never be good a poetry, but look at me now, I just made a beautiful vase and an ashtray!

Tiny Rita, the metre meter maid, who's duties are to mete out justice to wayward parkers, parking a metre out from the kerb? THAT Rita?